UBER

AND HOW IT CAME TO BE



Those of you, who know me, know that I suffer from a case of "happy feet". I get itchy from inaction and I inevitably have to find something to do. And at least for the past seventy years, it has involved some kind of activity. If you know me, you also know that I love to be around people. I'm only an isolationist when I want to be and that is, mostly, at home. I've often been asked by younger people: "Explain to me again how you get tired of being retired?"

I grew up an "Army Brat" who was born in Germany and lived in Europe and all over the United States. I got lucky however, as my father, a career Army officer, separated from his service in Monterey, California. So after an enormous number of elementary schools, I was able to settle down and finish my education in one place. For an Army kid that's as good as it gets. That's the reason I call, Monterey, home.

About ten months ago, Uber ride share came to the Tri-Cities area of Tennessee where I reside. I figured that I should at least give this employment a try. Let me see... First of all, it gets me out of the house. Second, I learn my way around the area where I live. Third, I get to meet people, most of them fun and interesting and some of them very fun and very interesting. Plus, as a retired cop, who put tires to the pavement for a long, long time, I am not averse to driving and think I am pretty good at it. But best of all, I get paid to do this.

The Tri-Cities area is in North Eastern Tennessee. The "Tri" is comprised of Kingsport, home to the Eastman Chemical Company, Johnson City, home of East Tennessee State University and Bristol, home to one of NASCAR's most famous race tracks, Lightning in a Bottle.  The area, it could be argued, is also the roots of country music. It's a fascinating region for a historian as it was the frontier for nearly a hundred years prior to the Revolutionary War. You see, Tennessee used to be part of North Carolina. Then to repay its war indebtedness to the Federal Government, North Carolina gave the lands that are now Tennessee to the government and the rest, as they say, is history. This truly is Davy Crockett country. His birthplace is not too far from my home.

My move to this part of the country came about as the result of grandchildren. Although I always thought that California would be my retirement home, as my daughters and their families began to relocate to Tennessee, I felt compelled to follow. So I often tell my riders, when they ask how I ended up here:"The Reader's Digest version of that is "grandkids'". It is beautiful country and the real estate market was advantageous for someone making the move from the California housing market. When I first moved here, I put a big California-style deck on the back of my house. The next year, I covered half of it so that I can sit out when it rains (about the same amount as Portland, Oregon). And as I try to fit in with the locals, I now refer to it as the "back porch". Another plus was that there is no income tax here. And besides I think my wife would have come East without me had I decided to let my mule-headed side show.

The first few months were sort of slow going in the Uber market but as folks became aware of the service being offered in the Tri-Cities, ridership has picked up. This particular market place would be hard to make a living in. However for a retired cop, it works out fine for me. I always have the option to choose when and where I want to drive. So if there is a pressing event that I want to attend, I don't have to say those inevitable words: "Sorry, I have to work." A very nice thing for someone with
happy feet......